The Invisible Hand of Fate
The Invisible Hand of Fate is the third episode of Season 3 and the overall twenty-ninth episode of The Venture Bros. Plot After slipping in his bathroom and falling, Billy Quizboy recovers several lost memories. Billy is about to shout accusations at Pete White when White knocks Billy unconscious with a PlayStation 2 and phones Brock. A flashback story then begins, showing Billy on a game show called "Quizboys" hosted by Pete White. White wears gloves, makeup, and a wig to hide his albinism. Billy writes down an incorrect answer but the correct answer is unexpectedly displayed as his instead, thus winning him the game. In a reference to the quiz show scandals of the 1950s, the other contestant and the public then accuse Billy of cheating. Unbeknown to them, White's hidden and unwelcome manipulation was actually to blame so Billy's reputation is unjustly harmed. In the dressing room after the game, White reveals his albinism to Billy and offers to make things right. Responsible for Billy's ruined reputation and loss of winnings, Pete White takes Billy to compete in a series of "underground" quiz challenges to finance a roadtrip to the Venture compound with the hopes of gaining employment as a scientist and a lab assistant. They arrive just as the O.S.I. is hauling away a clearly disturbed Myra Brandish while Dr. Venture speaks with an agent. H.E.L.P.eR. is in the background, holding a baby Dean and Hank. After Dr. Venture denies them jobs, White enlists Billy in what they believe is another quiz contest but is actually a dog fight. Billy loses the fight along with an eye, a hand, and all of his previous winnings (since White had placed a bet on Billy). Brock Samson and Colonel Hunter Gathers, two agents of O.S.I., have been tracking Billy Quizboy. They provide Billy with a robotic hand and eyeball in a plan to infiltrate the Guild of Calamitous Intent. Samson and Gathers believe that Professor Fantomas at "State University" is recruiting students into the Guild. Billy enrols in Fantomas's class and is comforted to find that most of his classmates have major deformities that make him "not so different" with his own enlarged head. Fantomas' assistant, who is also Billy's roommate commits suicide and Billy is too busy answering questions from the police to write his term paper. Billy observes that Fantomas is inflexible with the paper's due date when he sees him turn another student away. Expecting to explain why his paper is late, Billy is surprised when Fantomas asks Billy to assist him with an experiment because of an impressive essay someone turned in with Billy's name. Once again, Billy was rail-roaded by others cheating for him and he is too intimidated to dispel the allegations. Unbeknown to his professor, O.S.I. had cheated for Billy and used a paper written by Stephen Hawking. Fantomas is attempting to use a nuclear-powered machine to grow new limbs, as he was born with deformed, shrunken arms and legs and uses robotic appendages that fit over his real ones. The experiment goes awry, and when Fantomas tells Billy to check a crucial piece of machinery, Billy is forced to reveal that he knows nothing about this technology, and cheated on the paper he wrote about it. Billy's electronic eye is ripped from its socket and causes an explosion which apparently kills Fantomas. Professor Fantomas' once deformed limbs enlarge to normal size and become invisible, gaining the power to kill through touch and thus he becomes the villain, Phantom Limb. As punishment for their failure, an O.S.I. superior named Sergeant Haine--looking and sounding like Sgt. Hatred and later seen donning a Guild ring--indicates that Colonel Gathers was transferred to Guam and Brock Samson is apparently reassigned to be Dr. Venture's bodyguard. This puts a stop to the pair's attempts to expose the Guild. O.S.I. wipes Billy's memory and Brock delivers Billy to a disheveled Pete White. The post-credits scene returns to the present as Billy awakens from an attempted memory wipe and angrily attacks Brock, prompting White to smash him over the head a second time with the PlayStation 2. Episode Cast * [[wikipedia:James_Urbaniak|'James Urbaniak']]: Dr. Venture, Prof. Fantomas * [[wikipedia:Patrick_Warburton|'Patrick Warburton']]: Brock Samson * [[Chris McCulloch|'Chris McCulloch']]: Pete White, Col. Hunter Gathers, Sgt. Haine, Additional Voices * [[Doc Hammer|'Doc Hammer']]: Billy (Whalen) Quizboy, Shore Leave, Sheila, Underground Quizboy 1 * [[wikipedia:Joanna Adler|'Joanna Adler']]: Myra Brandish * Soul-Bot: H.E.L.P.eR. First Appearances * "Billy bag" Connections to Other Episodes [[Home Insecurity|''Home Insecurity]] * Steve Summers can briefly be seen in a flashback at O.S.I. headquarters, making his first appearance since Season 1's [[Home Insecurity|''Home Insecurity]].'' ''[[Ice Station - Impossible!|'Ice Station - Impossible!]]'' * Red Bannon makes a brief speaking cameo in a flashback at O.S.I. headquarters, apparently torturing a captured S.P.H.I.N.X. agent. He previously died in the Season 1 episode Ice Station - Impossible!, then going by the name Race Bannon. [[Past Tense|Past Tense]] * Professor Fantomas admires Billy's robot hand, surmising that it was based on a design from his former student Mike Sorayama. Mike Sorayama was last seen dead, at his funeral, in the Season 1 episode ''Past Tense''. [[Victor. Echo. November.|Victor. Echo. November.]] * In the Season 2 episode ''Victor. Echo. November.'' we hear three different accounts of Phantom Limb's origin, one each from The Monarch, Henchman 21, and Hank Venture. In this episode we finally learn the true history. [[I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills|I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills]] * Former Venture bodyguard Myra Brandish is seen in a flashback being dragged away from the Venture compound by the O.S.I. while H.E.L.P.eR. holds Hank and Dean as babies. Myra kidnapped Hank and Dean in ''I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills''. [[Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part I)|Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part I)]] * Sergeant Haine, the O.S.I. officer seen in the flashback, was secretly a mole for the Guild of Calamitous Intent named Sergeant Hatred. He was last seen at The Monarch's wedding in Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part I). [[The Doctor is Sin|The Doctor is Sin]] * While sitting on the toilet at the start of the episode Billy can be seen reading the issue of Super Scientific American featuring JJ on the cover as mentioned in ''The Doctor is Sin''. [[Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel|Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel]] * Steve Summers next appears in Season 4's premiere ''Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel''. Cultural References [[wikipedia:Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse|'''Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse]]' (2004)' * During the O.S.I. theme song cutaway a female O.S.I. officer, drawn to look and dress like American soldier Lynndie England in the infamous Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse photos, is standing with one foot on a pile of S.P.H.I.N.X. bodies while giving the "thumbs-up" sign. [[wikipedia:Back to the Future|'Back to the Future']]' (1985) *Billy's fall in the bathroom leading to an epiphany is a reference to Doc Brown's inspiration for the flux capacitor in Back to the Future. *The billboard next to Pete White's trailer is the same billboard that Marty McFly sees when he travels back to 1955 in Back to the Future. [[wikipedia:Berlin Wall|'Berlin Wall']]' / Bilderberg Group' * Col. Gathers mentions the Bilderberg Group and asserts that they are responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall, which hasn't happened yet as Billy points out. This places the events of the flashbacks no later than Fall of 1989. [[wikipedia:Casper the Friendly Ghost|'Casper the Friendly Ghost']] * Pete White uses the codename "Casper" to refer to himself. [http://www.momsminivan.com/counting_cows.html Cow Poker] * To pass the time during their road trip Brock Samson and Colonel Hunter Gathers play the travel game Cow Poker. [[wikipedia:Die Hard|'Die Hard''']] (1988)' * Professor Fantomas' appearance, hairstyle, and clothing are based on Hans Gruber, Alan Rickman's villainous character from the 1988 action film ''Die Hard. [[wikipedia:Don Quixote|'Don Quixote']] * Sergeant Haine calls Brock "Sancho Panza" and tells him his "windmill chasing days" are over, both references to the novel Don Quixote. [[wikipedia:Fantômas|'Fantômas']] * According to Jackson Publick, the original Guild supervillain Fantômas is based on Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre's creation Fantômas and Phantom Limb is his descendant.Publick Nuisance - The Invisible Hand of Fate [[wikipedia:Flight of the Navigator|'Flight of the Navigator']]' (1986) * The Nozzle's appearance is a reference to the alien computer, Max, from Disney's 1986 science fiction film, Flight of the Navigator. [[wikipedia:Ghostbusters|'''''Ghostbusters]]' (1984)' * Hunter Gathers exuberantly cries "We got one!" like secretary Janine Melnitz in the 1984 film ''Ghostbusters''.'' ''[[wikipedia:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1985 TV series)|'G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero']]' (1983-1986)' * There are numerous parodic references to G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero in the Office of Secret Intelligence in the 1980s, including a satirical take on the G.I. Joe theme song. * Shore Leave is an effeminate parody of Shipwreck. He and his men are also a parody of The Village People. * The leader of S.P.H.I.N.X. bears a resemblance to G.I. Joe villain Destro. The uniform he wears is similar to the 1997 toy figure. * The G.I.Joe battle cry of "Yo Joe!", is parodied as "YO! S! I!" [[wikipedia:Goldilocks and the Three Bears|'Goldilocks and The Three Bears']] * Pete White calls Brock by the codename "Goldilocks" at the start of the episode. [[wikipedia:Golem|'Golem']] * An irritated Hunter Gathers refers to Brock as a "lurid golem" when they switch seats on their road trip. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy! Jeopardy!]' (1964-present)' * The underground quiz competitions take answers in the form of a question, using the rules popularized by the televised quiz show [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy! Jeopardy!] [[wikipedia:Jonny Quest (TV series)|''Jonny Quest]]' (1964-1965)' * Race Bannon (going by the name "Red Bannon") makes a brief speaking cameo in a flashback at O.S.I. headquarters, apparently torturing a captured S.P.H.I.N.X. agent. [[wikipedia:Little Nemo|'Little Nemo']] * Pete White uses the codename "Little Nemo" for Billy, a reference to the comic strip character created by Winsor McCay who has fabulous adventures in his dreams only to wake up at the end of each strip. [[wikipedia:Louie Anderson|'Louie Anderson']] *The quiz show contestant who accuses Billy of cheating looks like the child cartoon character, Louie, from the ''Life with Louie (1994-1998) animated series. The series is based on the childhood of comedian Louie Anderson, a game show host on Family Feud. [[wikipedia:Louis XIV of France|'Louis XIV of France']] * In his final appearance on the Quizboys tv show, Billy Quizboy incorrectly answers that Louis XIV of France was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty. [[wikipedia:Magna Carta|'Magna Carta']]' (1215)' * Billy correctly answers the first question in the underground quizboy competition with "The Magna Carta" after only hearing the date. [[wikipedia:Mobile Suit Gundam|''Mobile Suit Gundam]]' (1979-1980)' * The S.P.H.I.N.X. ship is a parody of the [[wikipedia:White Base|SCV-70 ''White Base]] from the anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. [[wikipedia:Nguyễn Ngọc Loan|'Nguyễn Ngọc Loan']] * During the O.S.I. theme song cutaway an O.S.I. agent is seen executing a S.P.H.I.N.X. agent in the same manner as the famous photograph of General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon. [[wikipedia:Pass by catastrophe|'Pass by catastrophe']] * To convince Billy to become his lab assistant, Fantomas tells him that the suicide of Billy's roommate entitles him to a 4.0 grade from his college, a reference to a false urban legend called "Pass by catastrophe". [[wikipedia:Richard III of England|'Richard III of England']] * In his final appearance on the Quizboys tv show, Billy Quizboy had the correct answer of Richard III of England substituted for his incorrect guess to the question of who was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty. [[wikipedia:Stephen Colbert|'Stephen Colbert']] *Professor Impossible's name is shown being removed from the door of the university's science department. Stephen Colbert, the voice of Professor Impossible, chose not to return to the show this season. Jackson Publick stated that Professor Impossible's title being removed was not his way of showing disdain for Colbert leaving the show and that an early draft of the script contained a scene where it is revealed that Professor Impossible was forced to leave the university due to a scandal involving a student named Sally. The described scene appears as a voiced animatic on the DVD set. [[wikipedia:Stephen Hawking|'Stephen Hawking']] * The O.S.I. has theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking write a paper in Billy Quizboy's name for Professor Fantomas' class. [[wikipedia:The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|''The Incredible Hulk]]' (1977-1982)' * Shore Leave calls Hunter and Brock "Mr. McGee and his little friend The Hulk." Both were characters on the television series [[wikipedia:The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|''The Incredible Hulk]]. ** Jack McGee is a tabloid news reporter who obsessively pursues The Hulk, thinking that exposing him as a deadly menace will help his journalistic career. ** The Hulk is a huge, incredibly strong green creature into which protagonist Dr. David Banner transforms in times of extreme anger or stress. [[wikipedia:The Six Million Dollar Man|''The Six Million Dollar Man]]' (1973-1978)' *Steve Summers, the show's parody of Col. Steve Austin (aka "The Six Million Dollar Man") appears briefly in the O.S.I. headquarters. [[wikipedia:The Village People|'The Village People']] *Col. Gathers mocks Shore Leave by telling him that "The Village People called..." The Village People were a popular '70s disco act who—like Shore Leave and the others—dressed like a policeman, a Native American, a construction worker, a leather-clad biker, a cowboy, and a sailor. ''[[wikipedia:Watchmen|'Watchmen']]' (1986-1987)' * One of the contestants in the underground quizboy competition wears a tshirt sporting the blood-spattered smiley face design from The Comedian's button in the Alan Moore comic book series Watchmen. [[wikipedia:Wayland Flowers|'Wayland Flowers']] * Shore Leave tells Col. Gathers that "Wayland Flowers called. He wants his Madame back." Wayland Flowers is a comedian from the 1980s whose act featured a puppet named Madame. [[wikipedia:Woyzeck|''Woyzeck]] *Col. Gathers refers to Billy as "Woyzeck," the title character in a play by Georg Büchner. In the play, the innocent Woyzeck is manipulated by doctors and his military seniors (much like Billy is manipulated by Fantomas and O.S.I.), eventually going mad as a result of this manipulation and his steady diet of nothing but peas. Production Notes *One of the animation directors (Kimson Albert) has a "nickname" inserted into his credits. The nickname is an unusual line or word from the preceding episode. For ''The Invisible Hand of Fate the credit reads Kimson "The Nozzle" Albert. *This was the first episode produced for season three, even though it aired third.Publick Nuisance - The Invisible Hand of Fate Trivia * The quiz show logo on Pete White's jacket is of a slightly different design to that on the TV show's set. Goofs *When Professor Fantomas and Billy go into the lab the door is left open, however in the next shot the door is closed behind them. *When Professor Fantomas is in his machine, his head is visibly unattached to the rest of the body. *When Sgt Haine is dressing-down Brock for the failure of the mission, Haine's hands alternate between being in front of him and being held behind his back in successive views. *In the closed captioning they mistakenly use "Build-A-Bear Group" instead of "Bilderberg Group" for Col. Gathers' line about the Berlin Wall tumbling down. References Category:The Venture Bros. episodes Category:2008 television episodes Category:Episodes Category:Season 3